Barnes and Noble appears ready to leave Manhasset.
The owner of the bookstore’s building at 1542 Northern Blvd., C & B Realty, has filed permits with the Town of North Hempstead and Nassau County to turn the structure into a multi-tenant building with retail on the first floor and medical offices on the second floor.
“It’s disappointing to see the bookseller leaving town,” said Susan Auriemma, secretary of the Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations. “It was a meeting place where you met up with friends in the cafe and teach your kids how to browse for books.”
Auriemma said she is surprised that Barnes and Noble, which has occupied the building since 1996, is leaving.
“But it is the reality of the world we live in today with technology right on our palms,” she said.
Efforts to reach C & B Realty and Barnes and Noble officials were unavailing.
The Manhasset-based C & B Realty filed for permits for the project on November 2015, but were denied by the town, which cited violations of three town codes.
C & B Realty had proposed 89 parking spaces, but town code calls for 165. The town code also requires parking spaces to be 10 feet by 20 feet based on the proposed uses but the company proposed spaces that would be 9 feet by 18 feet. The proposal was also non-complaint on two loading areas required by the town.
The Nassau County Planning Commission also denied the company a request for permits, pending information on how the building alterations and parking variances were going to affect traffic on Northern Boulevard, which is a county road.
“The NCPC deemed the referral incomplete due to the lack of a parking and traffic analysis/study accompanying the application,” Planning Supervisor Sean Sallie said in an email. “The matter will be reheard when the additional documents are received.”
“I’m glad the planning commission is taking the necessary steps to conduct a traffic study,” Auriemma said.
She said when businesses can’t meet the village or town’s parking requirements, valet parking is usually brought up as remedy.
“What we’ve seen anecdotally is where parking becomes an issue, a valet is required,” Auriemma said. “But I don’t think they took into account the unintended consequences when they decided they were going to add more parking to that space with people entering and exiting the space.”
She said valet parking at the building would cause traffic problems.
On March 16, after learning about C & B’s plan for the property, Auriemma said, she sent an email to Nassau County Legislator Richard Nicolello to express her concern regarding C & B Realty’s plans.
“With valet parking, I believe that this use will far exceed the site’s capacity. Furthermore, it is difficult at this point to make a left from the exit of that building,” Auriemma wrote.
She said with increased traffic, exiting the parking lot will become increasingly difficult.
Fred Colin, the manager of the building for C & B Realty, had initially requested an expedited review of the application in a letter to town Buildings Commissioner John Neiwender, in anticipation that it would be denied.
“Since this application requires variances from the Board of Zoning Appeals and the eventual Town Board approval, Colin said in the letter, I respectfully request the issuance of the denial letter required to make those applications in the most expeditious manner possible.”
A week later on Dec. 2, Neiwender emailed Town Supervisor Judy Bosworth and Town Councilwoman Anna Kaplan recommending the approval of the request. The application was reviewed and denied by Plans Commissioner Glenn Norjen the same day.
C & B Realty is scheduled to appear before the Town’s Board of Zoning Appeals on April 19.
